


Open Vacancy

by Paranoixa



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Lab Accidents, Sharing a Body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 02:09:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17972462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paranoixa/pseuds/Paranoixa
Summary: After an accident in Shuri's lab, T'Challa quickly finds he's not alone in himself.





	Open Vacancy

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So this is a quick little blurb. I love bodyswap/sharing bodies type deals, and I would love to further tackle something of that nature between T'Challa and Erik. But I'm pretty busy with some other projects, so this is probably gonna be a oneshot. Anyway, here it is, and here's to hoping for more bodyswaps in the Black Panther Fandom in the future ;)

When he awakes, it’s to the sound of Shuri’s frantic, fear-stricken voice calling out to him, shattered and quaking underneath the sonorous depths of emotion. His instinct is to push himself off the floor and search for the immediate threat, but, to his dismay, he can do little more than groan and loll his head to the side.

He feels sluggish, eyes wandering everywhere and nowhere and limbs weighed like they’ve been stuffed full of lead; Shuri’s voice is fading in and out, like bad reception on a radio station, and the room is filtering in and out with darkness. Eventually, the static clears, and he soon finds his vision settling and his hearing coming back to him, inhaling deeply as Shuri tugs him to her chest.

“-wake up! T’Challa, wake up!”

_ For fuck’s sake, why is she so loud? _

T’Challa blinks, a frown slowly but surely settling upon his face; he sighs, and, ignoring the prickling pain in his temple, turns to find Erik and scold him. But Erik’s not there, and, when T’Challa turns to give the Lab a good lookover, there’s no sight of him. His frown deepens, but, before he contemplate the matter any further, Shuri sniffles and pulls away.

Without her to keep him balanced, T’Challa sways and, if not for her reaching out once more, he probably would have face planted onto the floor.

“Shuri”, T’Challa groans, feeling nauseous from all the sudden jerks and movements. “Please, just stay still.”   
“Right. Right. Sorry.” Shuri scowls to herself and shakes her head, then wraps her arms around him. “I was worried something terrible had happened.” She kisses his forehead, then pulls back, pressing the back of her hand underneath his neck. Seemingly satisfied, she then leans in closer and stares into his eyes, like she’s searching for something. Apparently, she doesn’t find it because it’s in the next moment that she’s sitting back on her haunches and sighing. She brushes her braids out of her face and turns to scowl at the lightning bolt blotches of pure white where T’Challa had been standing.

Where T’Challa and Erik had been standing.

“That is the last time I use living subjects in preliminary testing”, Shuri murmurs, crawling to her feet. She extends a hand to T’Challa, and he accepts it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. He wobbles for a few seconds, but Shuri’s there to offer balance, still staring up at him with those worried, brown eyes of hers. 

“I am fine”, T’Challa assures, but it comes out slurred even to his own ears. 

“No, you’re not.” Shuri takes hold of his forearm and begins guiding him through the Lab. “You need an examination, quickly.”   
He can’t argue with that. His senses have realigned themselves, but he feels substantially off balance. Like someone’s taken weights and attached them to his ankles. That and the strange, burning weight on his chest. T’Challa takes a free hand there and presses down, wincing as a burst of heat sparks from there.

_ Don’t do that. _

Shuri turns around to stare at him. Her eyebrows furrow, and she steps further, but T’Challa just takes a step back, his hands carefully placed at his sides. His eyes have gone wide, and they’re darting around the room, searching for the voice, for Erik’s voice.

“Where did Erik go”, he asks.

Shuri blinks. “Um.” Her gaze drifts back to the white blotch, then to T’Challa again. Her expression turns remorseful, guilt-ridden, and she wraps her arms around himself. “He disappeared after the explosion. He...turned into this mass of energy and...well, then there was the explosion, and I don’t know. He could be anywhere.”

_ Not just anywhere, little bit. _

T’Challa’s hand goes up to his chest. It feels heavy. He gulps, and he takes in a deep breath.

_ N’Jadaka? _

_ Winner winner, chicken dinner. _

“T’Challa?” Shuri’s at his side, grasping his shoulder firmly. Her eyes are solemn yet resolute as she’s says, “I’ll find him. We’ll get him back.”

T’Challa scoffs, and she raises an eyebrow. Before he can stop himself, his lips are moving, and he’s saying, “I doubt even you could figure a way out of this shit”.

_ Are you-how are you here!? _

_ Why don’t you ask the Mad Doc? _

“Brother? Are you feeling all right-”   
“That wasn’t me”, T’Challa says breathlessly. “I-I didn’t say that.” His eyes go to Shuri’s. With one look, Shuri goes tense, her face closing off save for the rising panic in her eyes.

Shei nods, slow and careful as she works to keep her features concealed; it’s not working. She eases her grip on his shoulder, then urges him forward, antsy to get him into the med bay. “All right”, she relents. “Then who was it?”

The heavy feeling in T'Challa's chest returns; his eyes go wide and flash golden before his lids fall back over them, softly blinking as his lips peel upward into a smile. He winks, crosses his arms over his chest, and says, "Hey, cuz. Long time, no see".


End file.
